Mt. Lebanon Library offers gardening programs

Parco Villa Pallavicino Stresa, one of the gardens to be discussed in the “Some Beautiful Gardens in Italy” talk March 23 at the Mt. Lebanon Public Library.

Mt. Lebanon Public Library will present four gardening programs this spring leading up to the Annual Mt. Lebanon Public Library Garden Tour and Party, July 6-7. Each presentation will help homeowners improve their outdoor space and create natural beauty in their own yards.

The first program, 6:30 p.m. Feb. 26, features garden writer and landscape designer Phyllis Gricus on the topic, “Rain Gardens.” This program will teach gardeners how to reduce pollution of the local watershed by keeping some of their property’s water run-off in an attractive, low-maintenance natural space right in their own yard.

At 6:30 p.m. March 4, the topic will be “Creating an Easy-care Garden of Roses.” This program will challenge some of the myths associated with growing roses in a home garden, as well as discuss how to select the right rose, proper planting techniques, easy pruning methods and low-environmental impact disease and insect control. David McKibben, American Rose Society Consulting Rosarian and Friends Board member, will show home gardeners that it is not difficult to grow roses and it can be done using organic gardening methods.

The third event takes place at 1:30 p.m. March 23. Bonnie and Art Bishop, frequent travelers to gardens in Italy and France, will present the historical background and garden designs from six prominent gardens in the Veneto, Piedmont and Tuscany regions of Italy. “Some Beautiful Gardens in Italy,” will offer tips on how to incorporate features from the famous Italian masterpiece gardens to your own garden, along with travel ideas for those planning a trip to these regions of Italy. This program is co-sponsored with the Pittsburgh Rose Society.

The final program at 7:30 p.m. March 27, is held in cooperation with the Historical Society of Mount Lebanon, and is titled “The History and Future of the Site of the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden.” Horticultural Society of Western Pennsylvania President Greg Nace will review the history of the project and show the designs for the 18 distinct gardens and five woodland areas that will make up the completed Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. The presentation will feature the 460-acre development at the garden site over the past years, leading up to the present incarnation as the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden.

On July 6, the annual Garden Party unfolds in the library’s courtyard, followed the next day with the Annual Garden Tour. For more information, visit www.mtlebanonlibrary.org.